Valve



pt. 16, 1941. A OHN ON 2,256,319

VALVE Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2. Sheets-Sheetl Sept. 16, 1941. A. J. JOHNSON VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1940 Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE Arthur J. Johnson, Ohicagoflll. Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,44!

1 Claim.' (01. 277-4) In Letters Patent No. 2,192,193 granted to me on the th day of March, 1940, I have disclosed a form of valve structure which-is adapted to control the separate coils of a heat exchanger independently of one another so as to permit communication between the supply pipe for the heating medium and one, all, or any intermediate number of coils, whereby it is possible to obtain a very accurate control of the temperature; the valve actuating mechanism being such as'to open the several valves seriatim and close them seriatim in the reverse order.

In my aforesaid patent vertically movable valves of the poppet type are disclosed, the stem of which are all connected to a common bar that is raised by a spring to open the valves and lowered by a bellows diaphragm supplied with compressed air or other motive fluid to close the valves against the thrust of the spring; and in the stems of the valves are incorporated means by which the successive or seriatim opening and closing movements of the valves are effected.

The valve system of the present invention involves the same broad principle of operation as that of my aforesaid patent, in that it opens the valves seriatim and closes them seriatim in the reverse order; but in my present invention ported rotary valves are employed, and the main object of this invention has been to provide a new and improved operating mechanism for such rotary valves.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-'- Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in vertical section on the line I| of Fig. 2 and showing positions of the valve operating parts assumed when all of the valves are closed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the valve operating mechanism on an enlarged scale'and partly in horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the valve operating parts, showing the positions assumed when all of the valves are open.

Fig. 4 is a section through the valves and steam supply manifold, but showing all the valves open.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the improved valve structures embodying this invention may be used in connection with various forms of heat exchangers, the accompanying drawings illustrate only the inlet or supply end of the heat exchanger.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the radiator or heat exchanger comprises three rows of coils, I, 2 and 3 which are connected to a supply header 4 having partitions 5 and 6 which divide the header intothree separate chambers I, 8 and 9, each of which communicates with only one row of coils. i

The improved valve structure may be formed as an integral part of the header of the heat exchanger, but, in the construction shown herein,

it is formed as a separable unit, which is connected to the header by pipes I0, II and [2 that communicate with the header chambers l, 8 and 9, respectively.

The improved valve structure comprises a casting designated as an entirety by I3, said casting having a chamber [4 closed. at its lower end by a wall 15, and internally tapped at its open upper end t receive a supply pipe It for a heating medium, such as steam or hot Water.

The portion of the casting l3 forming one side wall of the chamber [4 is thickened, as shown in Fig. 4, and is formed with upper, intermediate and lower horizontal flow ducts I'l, l8 and I9, respectively, the outer ends of said ducts communicating with the pipes l0, H and [2, respectively, leading to the header of the heat exchanger. Intersecting ducts ll, I8 and I9 are rotary valves 20, 2! and 22, preferably of the conical type shown in Fig. 2, each'valve havinga transverse port 23 adapted to be shifted between an open valve position, shown in Fig. 4, wherein the port 23 connects the portions of the duct l'l intersected by the valve, and a closed position wherein the solid walls of the valve close the flow duct. Fast on corresponding ends of the valves 20, 2| and 22 are mutilated pinions 24, 25 and 26, each of sufiicient length to accommodate the maximum valve movement. ,Also, in each valve body is a radial pin 27 that plays through an arcuate slot 28 preferably of approximately 45 in the valve seat, the pin and end Walls of the slot constituting stops to limit the valve movement in both opening and closing directions.

In a lateral extension 29.0f the widened portion of the casting l3 which houses the valves is formed a rectangular groove 39 that extends lengthwise of the group of valves opposite their several pinions; and slidably fitting the groove 30 is a rack bar 3|. On the side of said rack bar nearest the pinions are three groups of teeth, 32, 33 and 34 spaced lengthwise of the bar and cooperating with the pinions 24, 25 and 26, respectively. For the purposes of the intermediate pinion 25, a single tooth is sufficient. Fig. 1 shows the engagement of the pinions with their respective rack bar teeth when the valves are in closed position, and Fig. 3 shows the same when the valves are fully opened. From these views it will be seen that on the up movement of the rack bar 3| the teeth 34 first open the lower valve 22, the tooth 33 next opens the intermediate valve 2|, and lastly the teeth 32' open the top valve 23. When the rack bar 3| moves downwardly, the teeth 32 first close the upper valve 20, next the tooth 33 closes the intermediate valve 2|, and finally the teeth 34 close the lowest valve 22.

The upper end of the rack bar 3| is guided and confined in the groove 30 by a transverse cleat 35 (Fig. 5) that covers the open side of the groove. The rack bar is actuated upwardly to open the valves by a fluid pressure motor designated as an entirety by 36 and in the reverse direction by a' spring 31. This motor is shown in vertical section in Fig. 1 and comprises a housing 33 supplied with pressure fluid through a lateral duct 39 that communicates with a supply pipe 49, such pipe being equipped with a valve or cock 4| for turning the pressure fluid on and ofi. Mounted within the housing is a bellows diaphragm 42, to the lower end of which is secured a rod 43 that extends through an intermediate coupling member 44 that connects the housing 35 to the lower end of the casting l3, and at its upper end is supplied with a separable two-piece head 45, 46 that embraces a head 41 on the upper end of the rod 43. This latter head is connected to the lower end of the rack bar 3| by an adjustment pin 48 having right and left threaded ends engaged respectively with the rack bar 3| and the head member 46, and an intermediate nut 49 for adjusting purposes. The rod 43 is supplied with an ordinary packing gland 50. The thrust spring 3'! is confined endwise between the lower side of a cup-shaped washer 5| on the lower end of the gland 5B and the upper side of a cup-shaped washer 52 encircling the rod 43 and footed on the bottom wall of the diaphragm 42.

In the bottom wall of the housing 36 is a vent pipe 53 equipped with a valve or cook 54.

Fig. 1 shows the parts in idle position wherein all the valves are closed. If only a small amount of heat is desired or required, the valve 4| is opened and held open until the fluid pressure has raised the rack bar 3| sufficiently to fully open the valve 22, and the cock 4| is then closed. If more heat is desired, the closing of the cock 4| is delayed until both the valves 22 and 2| have been opened; and if a maximum heat is desired, the closing of valve 4| is delayed until all three of the valves have been opened. If, later, it is desired t reduce the heat in the coils, the vent valve 54 is opened, permitting exhaust of the fluid pressure from cylinder 38, and the spring 31 moves the rack bar downwardly until the valve 2| has been closed, whereupon the cook 54 is closed. If it is desired to further reduce the heat, the closing of the valve 54 is delayed until both the valves 2|] and 2| have been closed; and if it is desired to shut off all the heat, the closing of cook 54 is delayed until all three of the valves have been closed.

In actual practice, the cooks 4| and 54 will be automatically opened and closed by a thermostatically controlled magnet or other device; but since such automatic thermostat control of cocks and valves is old and common, I have not illustrated the same herein.

I claim: V In a fluid flow control system of the class described, the combination of a. casting formed with a plurality of parallel fluid conductors and a guide groove located atone side of, and crosswise of, said fluid conductors, a corresponding plurality of transversely ported rotary valves mounted in said casting crosswise of said fluid conductors, a corresponding plurality of mutilated pinions fast on corresponding ends of said valves, a rack bar mounted to move endwise in said guide groove and having on one edge thereof groups of teeth so spaced as to successively engage said pinions and open said valves seriatim when said rack bar is moved in one direction and successively engage said pinions and close said valves seriatim in the reverse order when said rack bar is moved in the reverse direction, means for moving saidrack bar endwise in both directions, and means for limiting the movements of said valves to. fully opened and fully closed positions.

' ARTHUR J. JOHNSON. 

